A process combination is disclosed to reduce the aromatics content of a key component of gasoline blends. Paraffins contained in catalytic reformates are conserved and upgraded by separation and isomerization, reducing the reforming severity required to achieve a given product octane with concomitant reduction in paraffin aromatization and cracking. Light reformate may be separated and isomerized, and heavier paraffins are separated from the reformate by solvent extraction or adsorption and isomerized. A gasoline component having a reduced aromatics content relative to reformate of the same octane number is blended from the net products of the separation and isomerization steps.